FREE Radio Time--Two Easy Strategies

Take advantage of these two easy ways to get your business mentioned on the radio--for free.

(Shel Horowitz's Frugal Marketing Tip, August, 1999)

Big companies pay big bucks to saturate the radio band with their message—but if you're clever and can respond instantly, you can get it for free.

I've talked in the past about being a talk show guest—but that's not for everybody. Some folks are too scared and others won't know how to get chosen. Here are two approaches that just about anyone can do.

1) The quick call-in. If you're listening to a station and they suddenly start talking about something you know about, give a call and ask to speak to the host—even if the announcer hasn't asked for call-ins. The worst that can happen is you waste a few minutes on hold and don't get on the air. the best—a free commercial.

During the gas glut a few months ago, when prices hit their lowest levels of the decade, a local radio personality asked listeners to call in the lowest price gas station they knew about. I think the third caller said "I run the (brand) station at (location) and we're selling unleaded regular for just (price)." Bingo—a free commercial!

2) Joan Stewart, publisher of the Publicity Hound newsletter, reminded me of how easy it is to get free coverage by dropping by the station with goodies: a hot pizza, box of cookies, personalized earmuffs, whatever. You may or may not get talked about on the air, but it's worth a shot. If they do mention you, they may even do a quick interview—especially if it's a "personality"-oriented show. (I'm not getting anything for plugging Joan here—but if you want info about Publicity Hound, drop a note: mailto:jstewart@execpc.com?subject=SubInfo-FMktngsubscriber

Thank you reading this back issue of Shel Horowitz's Monthly Frugal Marketing Tips, published every month since May, 1997; please click here to view the complete archives, grouped by subject. Shel is an internationally known copywriter and marketing consultant, author of Grassroots Marketing Getting Noticed in a Noisy World, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First and several other books, and creator of the Frugal Marketing web site. Please click here to contact Shel.


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